[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6308898,"mediaKeyId","2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce","parentId",2416064,"title","Committee considers expanding early-intervention literacy program to include math and model students in HB 628","audioSeconds",303,"startMs",8270000,"endMs",8573000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce&start=8270&end=8573","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce/thumbnail_8270000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6308898/Montana/Committee-considers-expanding-early-intervention-literacy-program-to-include-math-and-model-students-in-HB-628","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308898-9b81ba11d583e9cb2944cf0be5f3b50c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165031&Signature=TW7ktXgbIkx9ZwvBSRAIAOARUVFl3saH6hUOl4umrnAiYBqSjuKwpew~9MofuYQz6JnyLg02j8yLUlC7efoKIkJiO6w96Qa8lMaRZYY5LfywJUg--Bf7QUP4KqD7t5gwNeqj7KOeD934I1v3At3E9E6IKrrOTvSLhCCBJ6obFFwdaTndMub~h6WMB0bkF6D-mTEPqd8pp8vwVCbNr0c6jF306KkNjGhYoA24x5Qv5gbNvGKVSg7ZF3swzUOvzG2f22jNFbyNiJjHd6q0IdVty~NCdOtZvgNSypLyqhU3f43N0BK04aWkCEBjZDXdcBdQbvBcJZlkicbzLIc55fYA9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana State Legislature","date","2025-02-26T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Nicola Cakos introduced House Bill 628 to expand the state's early-literacy targeted-intervention program to include numeracy (math) and to permit a limited number of on-target or \"model\" students to participate in targeted intervention groups alongside students who qualify for services.

The sponsor said the change is optional and local: districts may include model students to improve peer learning and to allow small cohorts to operate financially. \"This is completely optional so if you don't have the space ... it is completely optional and completely local,\" the sponsor told the committee.

Early-childhood advocates and the Office of Public Instruction supported the bill. OPI emphasized that the bill requires data collection to measure program effectiveness and that adding numeracy aligns with research showing early numeracy predicts later academic achievement. OPI said the board has already adopted rules for early-literacy evaluation methodology and that the bill corrects an assessment-window issue that previously limited assessments to spring months.

Supporters said including model students can help districts run programs efficiently and promote peer mentoring, and stakeholder witnesses described the bill as family-friendly because sibling pairs can attend the same summer or intervention program.

No opponents were recorded in the hearing transcript. Committee questions focused on the evaluation methodology, how scholastic-literacy is defined in rule, and whether the standards and assessment-by-grade remain appropriate when numeracy is added. The Board of Public Education's executive director also testified about rules the board adopted for early-intervention evaluation and offered to work with the sponsor on methodology details.

Ending: HB 628 drew broad support from early-childhood advocates, OPI and school-administration witnesses. The measure is optional at the local level, adds numeracy to the targeted interventions, and requires data collection; the committee requested technical work with the board to align methodologies before further action.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education - Feb 26, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Nicola Cakos proposed HB 628 to expand the state's early-literacy targeted-intervention program to include numeracy and permit a limited number of on-target \"model\" students to join intervention cohorts; OPI and early-childhood advocates supported the optional, local approach.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6308917,"House committee debates allowing school credit for religious \"released time\"; amendment attached then bill tabled",1169,561000,1730000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce&start=561&end=1730","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce/thumbnail_561000.jpg","/articles/6308917/Montana/House-committee-debates-allowing-school-credit-for-religious-released-time-amendment-attached-then-bill-tabled","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308917-efa4c3da8f26ae18beebf657a22dc625/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165031&Signature=HtlWxNEq1tOTezPbg5dKF1vqshba~HCGfuw7aUYnyyGLhDmOuKSLDGpk0GZ797BnorXhe~MvZ7j1ada~8ELsDxFp0S71oIYB0-GhFqK8Yg9lnMxTvL7QCATSN9CNTZEqYHyjRvLrm75s10pzv-sowVpvucslh5F7OvsNR-rkhmCTRgVOEMWNpi7Y115dJMxT4~S6Y9CpmuImbl02shIEH91Oxjw7LBQCMuXsreBw1Gb4IrwLHWYSkfbxjLbXwZtxthMpp1QWzpHnp9D~h7dJJJ4ZgHYDnFc~qynb7mdJlibdyk~GF0RcU3iMQyuttslacjUDV5bPxJkWJXrDwOflKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A House Education Committee on HB 343 spent more than an hour debating whether and how public school districts could award academic credit for religious \"released time\" instruction, then voted to table the bill after close roll calls on amendments and the measure itself.

The bill, sponsored by Representative Greg, would authorize school district trustees to adopt a policy allowing academic credit for religious instruction presented during released time. The sponsor said the measure merely “authorize[s]” districts and drew on longstanding practice in some states and earlier Montana policy.

Supporters and opponents both told the committee the legislation would create choice for parents and students but raised sharply different questions about how districts would verify course content, supervise instructors and avoid constitutional entanglement between church and state. \"I do find, however, that I still have some concerns ... we might run afoul of our constitutional provisions regarding church and state,\" Representative Thane said during debate and said she would vote no on the amendment under consideration.

Committee staff described the amendment stack. The amendment that passed (attached to the bill) turned mandatory language about awarding credit into permissive language — changing a \"shall\" to a \"may\" — and added language clarifying that released time cannot affect a pupil's enrollment status, attendance record or state funding calculations. Committee counsel explained the amendment would make awarding credit optional and require any credit awarded to follow specified criteria. \"Starting actually I'll start on the back at the top of page 2 ... turning a shall into a may to make that, optional instead of mandatory,\" committee counsel said.

The committee conducted a roll-call on the amendment that attached to the bill; the clerk recorded the final tally as 8 in favor and 7 opposed. The chair then moved the bill as \"once amended.\" A second amendment (described in the hearing as Amendment 0.004) that would have removed the accreditation-related language was then considered and failed on roll call, 6–9. The committee then voted on the bill as once amended; the clerk recorded the final vote as 7 for and 8 against. After the close vote, a motion to table the bill passed by voice vote and the measure was put on the table.

During discussion, the committee invited Montana School Boards Association counsel and a public-education policy witness, who recounted how the Board of Public Education and statute have previously allowed districts to apply alternate methods for awarding credit (for example, proficiency-based credit), and warned trustees already have statutory duties about recognizing equivalent proficiency. A witness from the superintendent's office said the existing state rules and trustee duties permit some flexibility but that awarding credit for religious instruction raises questions of supervision, instructor qualifications, and the potential for districts to expend staff resources evaluating community-provided religious programs.

Representative Alvaro said his alternate amendment aimed to preserve access while keeping the requirement (a \"shall\") that districts allow released time, but without requiring districts to accredit programs in a way that would consume staff time. Representative Strand and others opposed the credit portion as overly ambiguous, saying districts lack capacity to assess curricula and instructor qualifications consistently.

The chair ended executive action on HB 343 after the tabling motion. No further committee direction was recorded on implementation steps or referral.

Ending: The committee attached a permissive-credit amendment to HB 343 but later tabled the bill after a narrow final vote and a successful motion to table. The transcript shows continuing concerns about accreditation, supervision and church–state issues that would need to be resolved before the committee advances the bill again.

","A House Education Committee on HB 343 spent more than an hour debating whether and how public school districts could award academic credit for religious \"released time\" instruction, then voted to table the bill after close roll calls on amendments and the measure itself.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6308911,"Sponsor and OPI clash over language that redirects school mental-health funding in HB 669",978,1738000,2716000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce&start=1738&end=2716","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce/thumbnail_1738000.jpg","/articles/6308911/Montana/Sponsor-and-OPI-clash-over-language-that-redirects-school-mental-health-funding-in-HB-669","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308911-a7fcf0e5825b72ed56db0d54edbcac7d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165031&Signature=T0zIW-zPGS1mkmtP5nS1H-uD8Aydbq34qNsT-31QeMh3~TNXAWcGeh5YHtRKSYSqLmzRitaEe7Yp3vJzlNXeoquKLP6iNLem7BX9XqmSi0TLSDTRdMS7SHWuKkl6x60-jfZWNxQcD1jscB61MOwmxmlyye-i3v~i~zrs5uEZ5K4XhdFuf2PsEArDr6yM7eTNHv0c90-zLs-bSF91Ygb6Q2llBRHG0y1VTYNWXXD~AnsaS7aNRpWj6j5fjhhY1ncGv4p-760md4VBKoXS~YvWomerzz4rY5EjX~2ZuXiTl4uaxCe0zw-h6PDjTel2tZ5Olcot~DXKt1wPyGuC-Qhsaw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative David Beattie opened a hearing on House Bill 669, a statutory cleanup that would clarify how tuition payments should be calculated when students placed in children's psychiatric hospitals, residential treatment facilities or therapeutic group homes are educated by the local school district.

Beattie told the committee the bill mirrors the method used when students are placed outside their district for foster-care, adjudication or state protective care: the same tuition-calculation process should apply when districts educate children at qualifying facilities. \"Specifically, it makes clear that the same process is to be used for calculating tuition as when the child is under the protective care of a state agency,\" Beattie said.

Proponents, including the Montana School Boards Association, described the bill as a cleanup to avoid conflicting interpretations between subsections of the statute (referred to in testimony as 20-7-435). They urged the committee to strike or clarify a subsection (page 3, lines 21–24 in the current draft) that they said could be read to allow the superintendent of public instruction to reallocate funds intended for educating children at qualifying facilities. \"This section of law speaks to the negotiated contract between the office of public instruction and a school district,\" one witness said, and the contested language could create an \"audit finding waiting to happen.\"

Susie Hedlund, Superintendent of Public Instruction, told the committee she appreciated the sponsor's cleanup but warned the committee that the subsection on lines 21–24 has been used in practice to operate a separate \"significant needs grant\" program administered by OPI. Hedlund said the grant program provides emergency funding to districts and cooperatives when students with high physical or behavioral needs arrive midyear and can carry costs \"upward of $100,000\" for a small district. She told the committee that the available significant-needs funding has varied year to year — \"anywhere from $0 to ... $383,000\" in recent years — and said OPI would need either statutory language or appropriations to continue the grants if the subsection is struck.

The sponsor said he intended to remove the subsection because the grants and the education-for-qualified-facilities funding are separate policy choices that should be transparent and funded through explicit appropriations, not an embedded statutory diversion. \"This piece of code has no business being in this statute,\" Beattie said, adding that he preferred to strike it to avoid a hidden or nontransparent funding path. He suggested such significant mental-health funding would be better handled in a separate, dedicated appropriation.

Committee members repeatedly asked whether removing the subsection would immediately halt OPI's emergency grants and for how long OPI would need to set up a separate funding mechanism. Hedlund said she would need to work with staff to determine timing and implementation and warned that an immediate cut-off could harm districts that rely on the grants for high-need students.

No committee vote on HB 669 was recorded in the transcript. The hearing record shows competing priorities: sponsor emphasis on statutory clarity and legislative transparency; OPI emphasis on continuity of emergency funding for districts that serve high-need students.

Ending: The committee closed the hearing on HB 669 with divergent views: the sponsor asked to remove a statutory carve-out that appears to have funded OPI's significant-needs grants, while OPI urged caution and said additional statutory or appropriation language would be needed to avoid harming districts that rely on the grant program.

","Representative David Beattie told the House Education Committee HB 669 would align tuition calculations for students educated at psychiatric and residential treatment facilities with established tuition rules for out-of-district placements, but OPI warned that removing a contested subsection would halt a separate emergency grant program.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6308902,"House committee hears proposal to allow schools to stock emergency albuterol; wide medical and school support",202,3266000,3468000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce&start=3266&end=3468","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce/thumbnail_3266000.jpg","/articles/6308902/Montana/House-committee-hears-proposal-to-allow-schools-to-stock-emergency-albuterol-wide-medical-and-school-support","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308902-7486f357ee11e7e372082303518b48a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165031&Signature=aE294y07pOhVLP8duIii6j1tjPeHfnWlyc~BrRDudNkMDhmoqS1VLkZIzW7x8sj-jcbXMGy~~JpaCjoYSGtENhC1Ltictozl-vmThJ0KwCyBt1kdJQ7M15vT2a6t32aumiHy6UgmPZdYPFw-IDFarcJ~qpk7mWPU~goN7sQPiw~iHta02KUmrz6zg1awpGcuMvQIb3bdpKxKXf8f6rIcBoG6~mwKANOLe0rB2qo7Jt4mRLyrX73bNBtx-2-RSSdoDMDXrjwKYEqgWbQbXa9axu6gdELG3VIwHLuNcd9Rhh-h20Jnk-GrL4zunmiU9fXn1RbuGQhEgomTvdq4v0fx7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Melody Cunningham brought House Bill 600 to the House Education Committee to authorize (not require) schools to stock albuterol inhalers for emergency use when a student or staff member has an asthma exacerbation or acute respiratory distress.

Cunningham told the committee the measure follows national recommendations and existing stock-medication models such as epinephrine for anaphylaxis and naloxone for opioid overdose. \"This bill comes out of recommendations from 4 national associations ... and ... there's a trend nationally to have this medication allowed to be in schools for emergency situations,\" she said.

Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) staff and multiple medical groups testified in strong support. DPHHS public-health staff said asthma affects about 7 percent of children in Montana and that immediate access to albuterol reduces emergency-department visits, hospitalizations and missed school days. \"Immediate access to albuterol can prevent and treat severe asthma attacks, reduce emergency department visits, hospitalizations, and potentially even fatalities,\" the DPHHS program manager said.

Physicians, physician assistants, the Montana Medical Association and the Montana Academy of Family Physicians described clinical benefits and real-world examples where on-site albuterol allowed children to return to class rather than being transported to the emergency department. Dr. Deborah Lipson, a pediatric pulmonologist, cited national experience and mortality data and urged passage to close a gap: while most students with asthma are permitted to carry prescribed inhalers, only a fraction have their personal inhaler available at school when an event occurs.

Multiple witnesses and the Office of Public Instruction said the bill is voluntary, includes parental-notification and reporting elements, and contemplates training and protocols for school personnel or nurses. The bill requires schools to report administration events to DPHHS and allows donations for procurement; witnesses estimated typical per-school startup cost at around $155–$300 (drug plus spacer and training), and others said other states' stock-albuterol programs have generated health-care cost savings by averting emergency transports and visits.

There were no recorded opponents in the transcript and no committee vote recorded during the hearing. Several committee members asked about costs, notification to parents when medication is administered, and whether the drug should be limited to students with a prior diagnosis; medical witnesses and the sponsor said the risk of administering albuterol to someone in respiratory distress without a prior diagnosis is low and that protocol-based treatment and follow-up with primary care would be used.

Ending: HB 600 received broad support from health-care, public-health and school stakeholders at the hearing. The committee heard estimates of limited cost per school and was told the program reduces absenteeism and could prevent hospitalizations; committee members raised implementation questions about parent notification and program logistics to be resolved before a potential committee vote.

","House Bill 600 would authorize — not require — schools to stock albuterol inhalers for emergency treatment of asthma and respiratory distress. Health providers, DPHHS, Montana Medical Association, school groups and OPI urged passage, saying immediate access reduces emergency calls, hospitalizations and absenteeism. The bill includes training,",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6308906,"Committee hears bill to require \"Celebrate Freedom Week\" instruction and daily recitation; Board of Public Ed and educators oppose mandate",1905,3457000,5362000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce&start=3457&end=5362","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2416064-a0c0b75d51d45075c0a3e0f6a98bcfce/thumbnail_3457000.jpg","/articles/6308906/Montana/Committee-hears-bill-to-require-Celebrate-Freedom-Week-instruction-and-daily-recitation-Board-of-Public-Ed-and-educators-oppose-mandate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6308906-32df0e277cbdfc1eda2d608130b69848/orig.mp4?Expires=1771165031&Signature=cFWDqAjc4Yr2e3Wl6HZ-MlVpzSQBPQ8ICBjRN8bep5nkrnK9Vc-aAVggSadWovFzKPproZXxgTFt92y-Wf-alYiwZDykI1kHdpno9VRbs8FBJo87ftD5Z3tSMD2ccGZXXPOWBj3PYuWyxd2CoDVAm3xmXVHMCYn7stXBpVUJ~RABLo1avmS4AGLZFddu~o4Rg5eOARUzcKDS7xXI5C7jwsdJ5NyT5J6rNmtY~YX96pWnYPiO2pOzPGc0H2QROt1nEfD~E0bzpWzu6jt4rUgrsJrIDmvoAHjfE2nDALqRRzzyiVubTLXTudvpG6mvrT31dzC1~oWftgNqfPJmqExLYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Greg Oblander introduced House Bill 591 to create a \"Celebrate Freedom Week\" in public schools requiring at least three hours of instruction each year about the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Montana Constitution, and permitting (but not mandating) a daily recitation from the Declaration of Independence unless a parent opts the child out.

\"The intent of this bill is to educate students about the sacrifices that were made in, for freedom in the founding of The United States and the values on which The U.S. was founded,\" Oblander told the committee. The bill sets the last full week of classes in September as the recommended week, requires grades 3–12 to receive the content with grade-level-appropriate emphasis, and provides explicit parental opt-outs for recitation.

Supporters included a representative of the Montana 250th Commission, who said the bill would help build youth proficiency in American and Montana government and make founding documents \"real to students.\" The Patriot Academy and private groups were referenced by the sponsor as sources for classroom materials.

Opponents — including the Montana School Boards Association, the Board of Public Education and the Montana Federation of Public Employees — said they support civics instruction but opposed this bill's statutory curriculum directions and the effect on the board's constitutional role to set standards. Board staff told the committee that the Board of Public Education already requires social-studies standards that introduce foundational documents in earlier grades and that mandating specific concepts in statute could conflict with adopted rules and complicate schedules and accreditation requirements.

Board staff also warned that the bill would require teachers in unrelated courses (for example, a geography or elective course offered during the last week of September) to change instruction to comply with the statute. \"The language in this bill requires specific concepts to be introduced as early as third grade and then year after year until twelfth grade,\" the Board representative said, and cautioned that the board had only recently added required civics content to standards (July 2023).

The bill drew questions about implementation time, whether an appropriation for teaching materials would be needed and how the policy would affect time allocated to literacy and math, especially in early grades. Oblander said he did not plan an appropriation and suggested free materials and existing resources could be used; several committee members urged collaboration with standards-development committees and offered to connect the sponsor to existing standards work.

No committee vote is recorded in the transcript. The record shows a split between civic-education supporters and state education officials and teacher groups who oppose a statutory mandate that defines content and timing rather than leaving curricular decisions to the Board of Public Education and local districts.

Ending: HB 591 highlights a recurring tension between the legislature setting statutory requirements and the Board of Public Education's constitutional role to adopt content standards. Supporters framed the bill as a civics boost; opponents urged that standards and implementation should remain with the board and local districts.","Representative Oblander proposed HB 591 to require at least three hours of instruction about the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and Montana Constitution during a designated \"Celebrate Freedom Week\" and to allow districts to require a daily recitation (with parental opt-out). Proponents framed the bill as civic education; the Board","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee considers expanding early-intervention literacy program to include math and model students in HB 628

House committee debates allowing school credit for religious "released time"; amendment attached then bill tabled

Sponsor and OPI clash over language that redirects school mental-health funding in HB 669

House committee hears proposal to allow schools to stock emergency albuterol; wide medical and school support

Committee hears bill to require "Celebrate Freedom Week" instruction and daily recitation; Board of Public Ed and educators oppose mandate